1787. Grose, Prov. Glossary. Game-leg, a lame leg.
1825. Scott, St. Ronan’s Well, ch. i. Catching hold of the devil’s game leg with his episcopal crook.
1851. G. Borrow, Lavengro, ch. lxvii., p. 204 (1888). Mr. Platitude, having what is vulgarly called a game leg, came shambling into the room.
1875. Jas. Payn, Walter’s Word, ch. i. Well, you see, old fellow, with a game-arm (his left arm is in a sling), and a game-leg (he has limped across the platform with the aid of his friend, and also of a crutch), one feels a little helpless.
4. (thieves’).—Knowing; wide-awake; and (of women) Flash (q.v.), or inclined to venery. E.g., Game-cove = an associate of thieves; Game-woman = a prostitute: i.e., a woman who is game (sense 2); Game-pullet (Grose) = a girl that will show sport, a female game-cock; game-ship (old) = a ship whose commander and officers could be corrupted by bribes to allow the cargo to be stolen (Clark Russell). [[110]]
1676. Etheredge, Man of Mode, ii. Go on, be the game mistress of the town and entice all our young fops as fast as they come from travel.
Cock of the Game, subs. phr. (old).—A champion; an undoubted blood; a star of magnitude (cock-pit).
1719. Durfey, Pills, iii., 329. Now all you tame gallants, you that have the name, And would accounted be cocks of the game.
1822. Scott, Nigel, xiv. I have seen a dung-hill chicken that you meant to have picked clean enough; it will be long ere his lordship ruffles a feather with a cock of the game.
To make game of, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To turn into ridicule; to delude; to humbug.